New reason for old farm to grow (Chebeague Island, Maine)

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=139900&ac=PHnws

CHEBEAGUE ISLAND — The message, written in the dew on the windshield of Chuck Varney's tractor one morning, stopped him in his tracks. "This is sad," it read.

Varney, 45, was using the tractor to clear trees from an old farm on this Casco Bay island for a developer who planned to build a subdivision.

The message troubled Varney, who had lived on the island since he was a boy. He went home and wrote a poem about how badly he felt about losing farmland to development.

Then Varney negotiated with the developer to buy about half of the 15.5 acres for a nonprofit, educational community farm. A neighbor bought the rest of the property, which also will remain open.

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[lazyriver]

1. This is a heart warming story and gives me hope for

the future of Chebeague Island, small farms and conservation in general. Thank you very much for posting this.